Improvement in car-coupling links



F. A. MARKLEY.

Car-Coupling Links.

' No. 146,926. I Patentedlan.2 7,i874.

Witnesses: v Inventor:

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

FRANK A. MABKLEY, OF WAYNESBOROUGH, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLING LINKS.

Specification formin part of Letters Patent No. 146.926, dated January 27, 1874; application filed August 8, 187 3.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK A. MARKLEY,

of YVaynesborough, in the county of Augusta head.

i The invention relates to car-couplings generally, but more particularly to that class of them in which a link with springgrapple at each end is employed. The invention consists in pivoting the springcatches to the hookpiece as nearly'as possible in the same transverse median plane, in order to shorten the coupling-link, and allow the cars to come as closely together as possible. It also consists in arranging a projection at one side of the rear concavity of link-slot, so as to arrest any lateral. pressure of pin against the spring-latch, and thereby prevent any chance of accidental uncoupling. It also consists in using slight side latches, and thus throwing the main weight and strength of the metal into that part of the link which is expected to take the strain.

'In the drawing, A A are two dra'w-heads, beyeled on the inner edges of mouth and provided with coupling-pin B. O is the couplinglink, provided at each end with the hook D to catch around the pin. The openings in rear latches or jaws have been pivoted in transverse planes at some distance from each other. This By using a simple and single side latch, I

am enabled to give great strength to the hookbody where comes all the strain. This cannot be done in the link with spring-jaws that divide the link equally through the middle.

The draw-head has transverse slots at a respectively at top and bottom to receive the coupling-pin and allow it lateral play, where by the draw-head may be made considerably smaller and less expensive.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A coupling-link having the spring-jaws D D pivoted in the same transverse plane, as and for the purpose described.

2. The link D, having the projecting guards E arranged to oneside of the concavity c, as and for the purpose'set forth.

3. The one-piece solid hooks D D, pror ided with a single spring-catch on each reverse side, to allow the strength of the iron to be thrown into the link-body that bears the strain, in the manner specified.

FRANK A. MARKLEY.

Witnesses:

Some: 0. KEMON, CHAS. A. PETTIT. 

